ELECTRIC DAISY CARNIVAL

UNDER THE ELECTRIC SKY

         Yes people it's about that time to go home to the Nevada desert and party under the electric sky!  This June thousands of people will make an exodus to Las Vegas to reunite with festival friends at the Las Vegas Speedway and relive the magical times that can only be experienced at a festival like EDC.  If you have never been to an INSOMNIAC  festival then you have not felt the magic in the air. I can only compare it the feeling when you were a child going to Disneyland for the first time, it's almost like you have been teleported to another world where your dreams and imagination comes to life. 

Insomniac has been creating experiences since 1993 with Pasquale Rotella at the helm and it has only been getting bigger and bigger.  I've been attending these events since 1996 and I remember seeing Pasquale promoting his parties and being hands on with all of his events and nothing has changed and it shows.  All of his events have a feel of a family gathering where everyone is welcomed with a warm embrace.  Although the parties have grown to the size of a small town the feeling is still there and will never go away.  Now we get amazing line ups to lose ourselves in the music along with the best productions in the world.

So if you have haven't been to an Electric Daisy Carnival I suggest you make it out to Vegas and experience it for yourself.  I hope to make it out this year to shoot for my website KNOWN MEDIA and if so you I will have lots to post for you here.  See you Under The Electric Sky!!

Revolve Clothing at Coachella

REVOLVE FASHION FESTIVAL

            If you know Coachella then you know that that is not the only party going on in the desert. There is a plethora of invite only events at secret locations and for those of you in the know then the desert is your playground.  Companies such as Heineken and Revolve Clothing sponsor events at private estates, closed down Sam's Club warehouses or even airport runways.  I was able to attend some of these events and brought my camera along with me to capture some of the who's who and fashionable looks at these parties for my website KNOWN MEDIA.  One of these events was the REVOLVE FASHION FESTIVAL that was held at swanky multimillion dollar estate with many sponsors giving out free swag as well as live performances by ASAP FERG 

ASAP FERG had the crowd hyped on a new level! He had everyone's full attention with his energetic performance and party vibe.  The event brought out some celebs to party among the crowd including ASAP ROCKY, Tyler The Creator and A-Trak.

Along with the music celebs there were a handful of internet sensations including Instagrams Violet Benson aka @daddyissues and youtube's Lauren Mayhew.

These invite only events are flooded with beautiful people dressed to impress ready to enjoy Coachella level performances and take advantage of the hosted bars.  If you're lucky enough to make it to one of these make sure to dress to impress because there will be bloggers and photographers such as myself to capture the moments and you don't want to end up on the internet looking like you stick out like a sore thumb.  

Wonderland by Kirsty Mitchell

WONDERLAND

       Kirsty Mitchell has in the span of 2 days of discovering her work become my favorite photographer.  Her work is absolutely beautiful and with a surreal look and almost painting like feel it takes you away to a fantasy land.  Her imagery captures your imagination and drops it down the rabbit hole.  

Her vast knowledge of fashion design gives her an advantage with extravagant costumes and sets to really bring her creations to life.  

 

The Wonderland Book has become the biggest kickstarter for a book and you can see why by some of the images I posted.  Kirsty Mitchell has won many honors including Best Conceptual Photographer and is a Nikon UK Ambassador for Fine Art.

Take it from me you will be hearing a lot about this relatively young artist in the very near future. Kirsty Mitchell if you're reading this you are absolutely amazing and have made a big fan out of me.

Cinema - Lights, Camera, Action!

            Throughout the history of cinema there have been numerous amounts of genres that have popped up and impacted the movie goers all over the world.  Some genres remained strong while others became a thing of the past with only a few directors giving nods to them here and there with their creations.  Here are a few genres that have been important to me and my love for the cinema.

1. Film Noir
2. Science Fiction
3. Crime & Gangster
4. Action
5. Comedy 

Film Noir

Sunset Boulevard

I really love the movie posters from the golden age of cinema because there was so much more involved than just putting the actors face and the title, there was story telling behind it and the fact that they were also hand drawn made them that much more special.  In this poster we see "Norma Desmond" overlooking and casting a gaze at "Joe Gillis" and "Betty Shaefer" in an insane manner as to say that she has control over them.  The movie title on the film real that is tied in a knot depicts that someone is tied up in some sort of struggle.  This is a powerful movie poster that gives the movie goer an air of sinister suspense. 

Science Fiction 

Blade Runner

You can tell that the creator of the Blade Runner movie poster was a fan of film noir and it shows in the movie poster.  This has all the classic elements of the movie posters from yesteryear right down to the fact that it is painted and not photographed.  You can obviously see who the main character is by the placement and prominent nature of the image.  Harrison Ford is placed at the very top and looks very intent and heroic standing ready for action with a brilliant light behind him while Sean Young is placed underneath him in a mysterious manner smoking her cigarette.  You can also tell that it takes place in the future by the view of the city that is shown and the flying vehicle escaping from it as well as the futuristic font used for the title.  

Crime & Gangsters

The Godfather

The Godfather has to be one of Francis Ford Coppola's greatest achievements in his career.  This movie is still amazing even after 44 years since its original release.  So much story telling is being said in the poster showing all of the key members of the family in different aspects of their lives but they are all bound by one key figure and that is Don Vito Corleone aka The Godfather or the head of the Italian mob.  He dictates everything that happens in the lives of all of the surrounding family members and they are all tied to him in one way or another. 

20th Century Photographers

André Kertész

This photo is from the last collection of André Kertész's "Distortion" series taken in 1984 a year before his death.   This photo along with the rest of his series depicts the distorted view that not only society has on the female form but women themselves have about themselves.  This sits true especially in society today on how women are altering themselves from what they were to look fake and distorted.  I really like his use of his subjects and the bending of light to get a distorted look.  This was one of my favorite photos he did.  

Roy Decarava

Roy Decarava's photography was very in tune with the times he was living in and was immersed in the jazz and blues culture.  The music at most times was very broody and solemn but at times was contrasted with light hearted vibes.  This picture depicts that contrast with the African American piano man playing in a darkly lit room but dressed in a white shirt playing on the white keys of the piano.  I love the feeling this photo gives you can almost hear the music playing.  

"Life Once Removed" by Susan Heintz

I thoroughly enjoy Susan Heintz imagery in her photographs.  Not only are the vibrant in color and contrast but quirky and at times creepy as well.

The image above shows her sharing a "romantic" picnic with an otherwise uninterested partner in the mannequin.  Nowadays we as a whole are finding ourselves in plastic relationships that may appear perfect and pretty on the outside but soulless and hallow on the inside.  

We yearn for the affection from the ones we love but most of the time get nothing blank, faceless emotions in return.  Public displays of affection becomes contrived and as fake as the mannequins in the photos.

These plastic relationships also can extend to the immediate family including children.  The kids in todays world are becoming more and more fake not only physically but emotionally as well.  We can pose and stand as a family but behind closed doors there is nothing.  

Susan Heintz collection "Life Once Removed" is intelligent, witty and sad as well.  She is showing us how society as a whole is just full of plastic people.

Time Keeps On Slipping....

Game face ready then on down the hill to meet his destiny.

Catching air like a bird with wings and sticking the landing for 10's across the board.

Off in dreamland but time to wake up and say hi to the world. 

Busy or Still

           

On the left the picture was taking at an art gallery in Palm Springs and on the right it was taken on the drive back from Palm Springs at dusk on Highway 60.

On the left it is a picture of an art installation in front of a building in Palm Springs and on the right the photo was taken in Indian Canyon, Palm Springs.

On the left the photo was taken at the green belt in Laguna off the 133 and on the right this was taken in Indian Canyon, Palm Springs.

Both photos are of the same table taken at different positions of the table.  This was taken at the SOCO in Costa Mesa.

On the left it is an art piece at a gallery in Palm Springs and on the right it is a door on the side of the gallery.

On the left is a piece of an art piece in the gallery in Palm Springs and on the right is a close up of a hut in Indian Canyon, Palm Springs.

On the left is a closeup of an art piece in Palm Springs and on the right is a photo taken at the OC fairgrounds.

On the left is a photo of the creek in Indian Canyon, Palm Springs and on the right it is a photo of the lighting in the VIP lounge at Club Nokia.

On the left it is a photo of a tree I found out by my house as well as the photo of the sky.

On the left is a photo of the fountain at the SOCO in Costa Mesa and on the right is a close up of the water in that pond.

Photoshop Used In History

Doctored Photos in History 

The Original Image

An unaltered version of the photo reveals that the newspaper has replaces the two female Cabinet members, Limor Livnat and Sofa Landver, with the men's faces.  The faces belong to ministers Ariel Atias and Moshe Kachlon, who in the the original photograph can be seen toward the periphery of the group (standing, second from left and second from right.) In Yated Neeman's version of the image, they have been cropped out.  Much of the newspaper's readership consists of ultra-Orthodox readers who do not think it proper for women to serve in the government. 

Benjamin Netanyahu and His Cabinet, 2009

The Israeli newspaper Yated Neeman published this version of a group photo of Netanyahu, the country's newly elected Prime Minister, front left, with President Shimon Peres, front right, and members of Netanyahu's new government.